This invention relates in general to a vehicle wheel and, in particular, to an improved aluminum full face vehicle wheel.
A full face vehicle wheel includes a "full face" disc and a "partial" rim which are joined together during a welding operation. The associated disc can be cast, forged, or fabricated from aluminum or steel, and the associated rim is fabricated from aluminum or steel.
One example of a full face vehicle wheel having a fabricated steel disc and rim is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,482 to Overbeck et al, and is shown in attached prior art FIG. 4. As shown therein, the end of an outboard bead seat 60 of a steel rim is provided with a radially in-turned flange 62. The in-turned flange 62 is machined to provide an axially extending surface 64, a radially inwardly sloping surface 66, and a radially extending surface 68. The radially inwardly sloping surface 66 cooperates with an inner surface 70A of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange 70 of the disc to form a joint. A weld 72 is deposited in the joint to join the rim and disc together.
Other examples of full face wheels are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,508 to Cissell II, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,311 to Nobach.